Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill felt his side got what they deserved after ending their three-game losing streak in the league with a clinical 4-0 win over struggling Burton.
Former Burton loan striker Christian Saydee netted a first-half brace, including the opener after just nineteen seconds to set the Shrews on the road to victory.
Any hopes of a Burton comeback after the break were ended when skipper Luke Leahy won and converted a 58th-minute penalty and defender Chey Dunkley put the seal on victory deep in stoppage time.
“Four goals. Clean sheet. Really happy with that,” Cotterill said.
“We got what we deserved today. We haven’t had that in the other games recently against Cambridge, Cheltenham and Fleetwood.
“We haven’t deserved to be beaten in any of those games. What happened to us over that Christmas period was really tough on the group.
“We did well today. It’s always tough here. It was tough years ago even when I played here for Burton Albion for teams to come and get a result and not many will come here and win by four.
“I thought we were well worthy of it today. We were clinical when we needed to be. All over the pitch we were tremendous.
“I couldn’t single any one out today. Obviously, Saydee will get the headlines because he has scored another two goals but everyone was great today.”
Burton boss Dino Maamria tried not to be too downhearted as his side suffered their first home league defeat since the start of October.
“It was a bit of a crazy game,” he said.
“They scored after the opening seconds but after that we totally dominated the first half.
“They make an unbelievable save from John Brayford and then we give such a silly goal away at the end of the half. We played some great football but it gets lost in those two moments of football.”
Maamria also blamed a moment of madness as Albion’s chances of staging a comeback, as they had done against Charlton, Plymouth and Forest Green, slipped away with a penalty conceded by Tom Hamer.
“The second half the belief of the players was still there but then we gave a silly penalty away to make it three-nil and then it is hard, particularly against a side like Shrewsbury,” Maamria added.
“We know they sit deep and their game management is really good and I just thought they were better than us in those moments.
“Ultimately they were clinical when they got their chances. It finished 4-0 but I am watching it here and I am baffled how we don’t even score”
